Getting Started

Opening the box

Thank you for purchasing the Twiddler3. Once you open the box you will see the Twiddler in the main compartment. The Wrist strap and a small USB cable are inside the smaller accessories box.

Please NOTE: The Twiddler3's power switch, located just below the “H” key, is shipped in the OFF position. Slide the switch to the right to turn the Twiddler3 ON. You will only need to switch the Twiddler3 on once. The Twiddler will last for months in the stand by mode. (We will send you an email reminder to charge it.) The Twiddler3 is easily woken up by clicking (pressing down) on the Joystick. You should only use the switch to power down the Twiddler3 when you are transporting or shipping and laws require you to have a physical cut off from the power source.

Powering Up The Twiddler for the First Time

The Twiddler3 operates in two modes: Wired, via USB, and Wireless, via Bluetooth (Class 2, BT 2.1 + EDR). When you use the Twiddler for the first time, we strongly recommend connecting the Twiddler3 to the USB cable and plugging it in to either a USB port on your device or a wall mounted USB Charger to fully charge the Twiddler's internal battery. The light on the back of the Twiddler will be red during charging and green once charing is complete. The Twiddler should be fully charged in under an hour.

You can use the Twiddler and charge it at the same time when the Twiddler is connected to your device via USB. Just make sure the switch on the front of the Twiddler is in the ON position (to the right). The switch is shipped in the OFF position.

Pairing The Twiddler for the First Time over Bluetooth

Out of the box and after you slide the power switch to the ON position, the Twiddler is ready to pair and will be actively broadcasting its address. On your host device, open your Bluetooth manager and search for New Bluetooth Devices. Once scanning is complete, you will see the Twiddler appear as: “Twiddler-xxxx” where xxxx are the last 4 characters of its Bluetooth Address. Just click on it and pair the Twiddler to your host. If your host requires a passkey, the Twiddler's passkey is 1234.

If you do not see the Twiddler appear in your Bluetooth Device list, make sure the Twiddler is on and the Status LED is blinking 2 short Green blinks every second. If the LED is blinking but the Twiddler is not in the list, or if you see a device named “FireFly”, press N+S R000 to reset the pair on the Twiddler.

The Strap

There is a soft fabric strap that extends from a slot in the side of the Twiddler's case and attaches to a Velcro pad on the bottom. This strap goes around the back of your hand and holds the Twiddler in position for typing or pointing. When you receive your Twiddler, decide which hand you would like to use the Twiddler and slide the strap into the groove on that side. Be careful! The fit may be snug. If it is, grasp the strap as close to the Twiddler as possible and gently, but firmly, slide the strap into the groove. Holding on further down the strap and pulling may cause the strap to tear.

Most users select their non-dominant hand, leaving their dominant hand free to do other tasks. Select the hand that feels most comfortable for you.

The Dots

There are two 1cm Velcro dots included in the accessory box. (For orders placed after July 1, 2015) They are intended for strap management. The single sided dot can be stuck to the side of the Twiddler opposite to the hand you are using. eg: Left hand usage, place dot on right hand side of the Twiddler.

This allows you to fold the strap upwards and keep it out of the way.

The double sided dot can be stuck to the end of the strap so that it can be folded back upon itself to keep it out of the way.

How to hold the Twiddler

How you hold the Twiddler is a matter of personal taste. It is designed to accommodate a wide range of hand sizes and shapes. The following guidelines may help you find a comfortable position:

In general, the strap goes around the back part of your hand, between your knuckles and wrist, and attaches to the Velcro fastener on the bottom of the case. Do not make the strap too tight. You should adjust the strap so your fingers fall naturally and easily over the center column of keys (the keys with the small guide-bumps on them).

You will notice that your thumb is resting on the top inside corner of the Twiddler. When the strap is adjusted correctly, it is loose enough so that your hand can be removed and re-inserted without detaching the strap from the Velcro. Rotating the Twiddler toward or away from your palm adjusts the angle of operation to accommodate longer or shorter fingers; and the angle of the strap on the bottom of the Twiddler can also be adjusted for your comfort. In fact, one way to find a comfortable position is to remove the strap from the bottom, set the Twiddler's angle, and then re-attach the strap to the Velcro pad. The Velcro on the bottom helps to hold the desired angle of the Twiddler.

Step by Step Left Hand Setup

Place the Twiddler in your left hand with the Strap attached at the top and open at the bottom.

Grip the Twiddler between your thumb and index finger lightly. Your thumb should NOT be at the top of the Twiddler, by the Joystick now, but underneath the top ridge supporting the Twiddler. Your thumb and index finger should make an “O” shape, if they are curled, with the Twiddler inside.

With the thumb and index finger of your RIGHT hand, grasp the bottom of the Twiddler. You are going to use this hand to fine tune the rotation of the Twiddler.

Back to your LEFT hand: place all 4 fingers on the ABCD column. Adjust the rotation of the Twiddler with your right hand to where these 4 fingers feel comfortable.

Without moving the Twiddler, check if pressing the keys on the remaining columns feel comfortable. If not, adjust accordingly by slightly rotating the Twiddler with your RIGHT hand giving comfort precedence to the ABCD row.

Once you have the rotation set, grab the strap and attach it to the Velcro at the bottom to lock it into place. How tight you make it is up to personal preference. Most people prefer a medium fit, not to tight and not to loose. One where you can easily slip your hand in and out of the Twiddler without adjusting the strap.

Once you have the Twiddler in place, try your thumb now on the top of the unit now. It should be in a good place to use the Mouse and press the buttons.

You can comfortably rest your thumb on the inside corner of the Twiddler, in a relaxed position.

You don't need to grip the Twiddler. By resting the thumb on the inside corner, and applying gentle inward pressure, you will keep the Twiddler steady and reach the keys more easily.

Typing your first letters

The Twiddler comes fully configured right out of the box. Like a standard keyboard, markings printed on the keys indicate which key code will be sent to your device when you press and release the key. (In Direct Key Mode, the Twiddler3 will emulate a standard keyboard by sending bounce and debounce states to the host)

Single Keys

There are twelve keys on the front of the Twiddler arranged in three columns and four rows. Each key in the center column has a tiny bump which makes touch-typing easier by letting you know immediately, by touch, which key your finger is pressing. Each of your fingers are assigned to a specific row of three keys across. Your index finger presses the keys marked A, E, and SP (space) in the first or top row. Use your middle finger to press B, F, and DEL (delete) in the second row. Your third (ring) finger is for the C, G, and BS (backspace) keys in the third row. And your little finger (pinkie) is in position for the keys in the fourth or bottom row-D, H, and ENT (enter). Press and release any of these keys singly to type the character or command with which the top of the key is labeled.

The White letters indicate that you need to press and release only that one key for that letter. The first 8 letters of the alphabet (a to h) are single press keys.

Chords

The next 9 letters are printed in Red on the keyboard. This indicates that you must press the key with the Red Square and the key with the red letter in order to type that letter. In the case of “i”, press and hold the Red Square key then the key with the red “i” on it. Release either one and “i” will be sent to your device.

The next 9 letters are printed in Blue. The same scheme is used for these letters. Press and hold the Blue Square down then the key with the blue “r” on it. Release either one and “r” will be sent to your device. Notice that “b”, “i” and “r” are on the same key. Pressing it in conjunction with the Red or Blue key and creating a chord is what makes them different.

The Green keys are used for standard punctuation and special keys.

The Twiddler does not register a keystroke until you release a key, for single key chords, or any key, for multiple key chords. For example, when you press the “A” key on the Twiddler and hold it down, nothing happens. But when you release the “A” key, a lowercase letter “A” appears on the screen. When you press a group of keys as a chord, its assigned character does not appear on the screen (or its assigned command is not issued) until you release at least one of the chord’s keys. Because characters are generated by the release rather than the initial press of a key, you do not have to worry about whether you have pressed or released all the keys in a chord at exactly the same instant.

Typing Tutor

As with any keyboard, your proficiency and speed will increase the more you use it. In order to help you along, we have a great typing tutor available online at: http://twiddler.tekgear.com/tutor/twiddler.html
If you spend 5 minutes a day with the typing tutor you should see dramatic increases in speed and accuracy within a few days.

Technical Mailing List

Make sure you are on the Technical Mailing List. The Technical Mailing List is one of the ways that we keep you current about updates and enhancements to your Twiddler. If you are not on the list, you won't hear about these advancements first hand and will have to hear about them from someone else, days after the release.